The Therm-A-Rest and Cascade Designs story begins in the early 1970s, when more and more people were lacing up their boots, hoisting packs onto their backs, heading out into the hills, and sleeping under the stars. Two former Boeing engineers, avid backpackers themselves, had an idea: "Wouldn't it be great," they imagined, "if we could make it more comfortable to sleep out on the cold, hard ground?" So, together they created the world's first self-inflating camping mattress. They called their invention Therm-a-Rest, and their fledgling company Cascade Designs. Therm-a-Rest mattresses quickly became standard equipment for adventures worldwide, and are still regarded as indespensible for outdoor sleeping comfort.